Portable electronic devices such as laptops and cellular telephones often contain components that are adhesively secured to each other. For example, a battery may be adhesively secured to an enclosure of the portable electronic device. However, adhesively secured components can be particularly difficult to separate, requiring specialized equipment and/or specialized skill. For example, a Kevlar® thread might be employed to sever the adhesive bond between the battery and the enclosure. Unfortunately, specialized removal tools of this type can be expensive and require specialized support equipment and training to use them. In some cases, specialized removal tools can cause damage to the components in the form of dents, scratches, and/or deformation of the housing components to an extent where the housing components require replacement or at a minimum, time-consuming and/or costly rework. Moreover, environmental regulations and laws in some countries may require that a battery be removable without the use of specialized removal tools.